


red moon

by oec_yo0mi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Assassins & Hitmen, Enemies to Lovers, I won't be graphic but there will be death of minor/irrelevant characters, M/M, Partners to Lovers, Violence, as expected, atsumu starts as a bounty hunter but becomes an assassin, background osasuna - Freeform, but something clicks betweeen them, expect bickering, ill update along the way, sakusa is a professional assassin, they start off irritating the hell otu of each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23721208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oec_yo0mi/pseuds/oec_yo0mi
Summary: A year ago, Sakusa Kiyoomi - a professional assassin - failed a mission for the first and only time for a target by the name of “Miya Atsumu”.And now, they’ve become partners under the same company. How odd.(aka AU where Atsumu is a bounty hunter turned professional assassin and has to work with Sakusa, who was assigned to kill him a year prior)"Ya talk a big game for someone who failed to kill me while I was drunk," Atsumu jokes.Sakusa grips the steering wheel. "I could still kill you, y'know. No one said I had to keep you alive."
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Comments: 27
Kudos: 118





	1. one & only

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hello! thanks for picking up this fic.
> 
> cw: depictions of violence and near-death situation. 
> 
> that's all, please enjoy. :)

_January, 2040_

  
  
  


Sakusa takes a deep inhale, senses filled with the scents and presence of the busy city streets. It’s another day, a new dawn, and likely- due to the nature of his work - a new death. An assassin's career is an odd one, a constant conflict of morality and the principles of justice, but it’s the one he’s chosen to immerse himself in, the one he’ll see to his dying days. 

Not like that should be anytime soon though, anyways. 

“G’morning Sakusa,” Kuroo Tetsurou greets upon his entrance into the office, to which Sakusa responds with an acknowledging head nod. 

“Anything interesting today?” he asks, making a beeline to the coffee pot. It still looks relatively full - aka relatively untouched. In the overhead cupboard, Sakusa pulls out one of his own coffee mugs, adorning his morning brew with a thoughtful amount of cream and sugar. 

Kuroo hums, “There’s a case, but I don’t know if _you’d_ call it interesting.” 

The statement causes Sakusa to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. And later - when he’s in Sugawara’s office debriefing - he can begin to understand the sentiment. 

“Your target is 22 year old Miya Atsumu. He’s a decently well known bounty hunter, infamous for getting in trouble with various rings around the city.” 

Sakusa studies his profile, he’s not old, rich, and corrupted like most of the people they target. He’s only a year older than Sakusa himself, with bleached blond locks and golden eyes. (Somehow, and the assassin can’t really place why, but he has a smug aura emulating off of the photo, despite it being a stationary picture, if that’s even possible). Usually reasons for targeting are obvious, and most of the time Sakusa doesn’t care anyways, but reading over the profile in front of him he can’t help but wonder why they’re wasting their time on some loud bounty hunter. In fact, this seems like quite the low level case for himself, he briefly wonders why they don’t put someone like Hinata and Kageyama on it so they could argue over who was gonna get the final shot or something. 

“Now, be warned, he’s quite the wild card, so be prepared for anything. But we’ve pinged him at a bar the last few days, so he’ll likely be intoxicated. Should be easy work for someone of your caliber.” Sugawara gives him a reassuring smile. 

_Exactly, so why am I on this?_ He thinks crudely. 

Either way, he’s in his familiar sleek black Lexus the next time they ping Miya’s presence at the bar. He’s dressed down a bit, losing his sharp suit for something a little more business casual, hoping to fit into the pub crowd. His gloved hands tap impatiently on the steering wheel as the situation runs through his mind. 

“Kenma,” He starts, speaking to his intel agent Kozume Kenma over the radio, “Why are we targeting him, do you know?” 

_“Hm”,_ the other starts from his end. _“Don’t know. This was a personal request from Oikawa, though.”_

Oikawa Tooru isn’t the head of their branch, but of one close by. Miya must be causing him problems, Sakusa figures. 

He reaches the bar, and the assassin truly has no other words to describe it other than _slummy_ , outside brick tattered and worn from age, the indoor decorations a messy vintage kind of style. There’s surprisingly more people than he was anticipating for 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon, but it makes his job a little easier because of the increased distraction, so he’s not really complaining. 

Sakusa surveys the bar, and he spots a head of blond hair right at the front counter. 

Step one - identify the target - check. 

He chooses a stool about 3 seats away from the suspect, ordering himself a simple daiquiri. He initiates step two - surveying the situation - but something seems off. 

Atsumu doesn’t have the smugness that Sakusa sensed in his photo - not at all, actually. He looks drained, depressed even. Now that he’s closer, he can see that his hair is messily tousled, shirt wrinkled as though it had been worn multiple times now. 

_Maybe this will be easier than I thought,_ Sakusa can’t help but smirk. 

But, he pities him a little, and as an excuse to get closer, he asks the bartender to give the “poor man” an ice water. 

As soon as the tall glass of water is placed in front of Atsumu, he can see the bartender whisper something to him, and suddenly the golden eyes he remembers from the photo make eye contact with Sakusa with a piercing glare. 

The target immediately gets up, marching quite dramatically over to the assassin (Sakusa catches the look of fear and regret in the bartender’s face). He sticks an angry finger in his face, causing him to flinch a little. 

“Who the _fuck_ do ya think you are!? Don’t ya know what mind yer business means!” His words are heavy, plagued with lingering drunk-ness. Sakusa can smell the prominent scent of whiskey in his breath, making him cringe ever so slightly. 

He feigns innocence, putting two open - but still gloved - hands up. 

“I think you’ve misunderstood, sir, I just wanted to make sure you were staying hydrated. It seems like you’ve had a bad day.” Sakusa says calmly, amused at Atsumu’s state. 

“Of course I look like I’m having a bad fucking day!”, He says dramatically, falling onto the stool next to him. Atsumu lays his head down on the counter, and for a second Sakusa thinks he starts crying. 

“It’s because I _am,”_ He says, much softer and much less angry. “I’ve had a terrible _week_ , actually.” 

Sakusa actually does feel a real and genuine twinge of sadness for the man in front of him, considering the fact that he’s supposed to end his life today. He never really gets to talk to his targets like this, for the most part. It’s a bit different to know something about them before he inevitably does what he always has to do, but now his interest is piqued, he wants to know more. 

“What’s going on?” He asks. It’s dangerous territory, Sakusa knows all too well. The #1 enemy to an assassin is their emotions. But he’s a professional, he thinks. Just gaining the trust of his target. 

Atsumu looks up, eyes watery. He hesitates for a second, as though sorting something out in his head. 

“So imagine that yer career is dangerous, right?” He begins, surprisingly well composed for his level of intoxication, “But ya have yer brother, yer closest compandre, yer _twin_ by your side. So in your head yer like, ‘Everything’s gonna be okay’, because ya know that you’ll always have eachothers backs. But _then,_ he turns 21 and starts getting bigger ideas about life. Thinking… ‘this _can’t_ be how it is forever, ‘n wants to get out of the business. Out! Like that’s not even possible! But somehow he does it. He spends a year making connections, and gets stable enough to make a new life.” He seems quite exasperated from the topic, and actually takes a sip of water from the glass Sakusa had gotten for him. 

“So he does. He starts his new life and he _leaves_ ya. So now not only are ya stuck in this _shit_ , yer in it alone now, too. Fucking sucks.” Atsumu breathes a heavy sigh, letting it all off his chest. 

Truthfully, it hit a deep chord in Sakusa. Bounty hunters and assassins aren’t all that different, really. But if there’s one thing that’s true for both, it’s that once you're in, there’s almost no getting out. Sure you might make enough to live a little lavish and enjoy life, but it’ll somehow always follow you when you try to get away. Everyone knows that. And even then, doing it alone is fairly difficult. Sakusa prefers solo work, but there's a lot resting on your shoulders. A lot weighing on your head

“I’m… very sorry to hear about that,” He says, almost on the soft side. 

“Yea well… I’ll survive, I guess.” Atsumu looks up, a new look of distant determination. It has that remnant smugness, the one that Sakusa remembers from the photos. Maybe he should get this over with before it goes too far. 

“I’m gonna go take a piss,” He says, getting up from the bar stool. 

_Ah, unfortunate._ Sakusa thinks.

Step three - take down, commence.

Sakusa gently pats the side of his pants, sure enough the handgun is still there. (Not that it would have gone anywhere, but it’s just an overprotective habit, he guesses) He waits about 45 seconds before walking towards the bathroom, following the path of the blond. The bathroom is filthy, and Sakusa has to keep himself from gagging from merely the _scent,_ but he’ll be out of here quick. 

In a brief survey of the bathroom, he confirms that they're alone. It’s a little _too_ convenient actually. He really does feel kind of bad. 

Miya Atsumu is at the farthest urinal, just zipping up. When he turns to walk towards the sink, he makes eye contact with Sakusa, recognition washing over his features. And, maybe it’s in the way Sakusa is standing, or maybe the way his features are far from friendly or conversational, but Atsumu knows something is off. 

Just as Sakusa is reaching for his concealed weapon, Atsumu charges at him with impressive accuracy for his level of intoxication. Sakusa gets a grip when the target’s within a few inches of him, flipping the blond onto the floor. He lifts his gun to take the fatal shot, but to his surprise, Atsumu gets the sense to hook a leg on the assassin’s knee, taking him to the ground right after him. The target ends up perched above him as he gets a hand pinned on Sakusa’s wrist - the one holding the weapon. There’s a moment where time seems to slow, and Sakusa can clearly see the fire burning in the other’s golden eyes. The kind of glow that indubitably says _I’m not going out without a fight_ , and Sakusa is ready for him. 

He puts a firm knee into the other’s chest, knocking enough wind out of him for him to loosen his grip on Sakusa’s wrist. He takes the chance to free his hand, taking the butt end of the gun handle into the blond’s temple, hard enough to break skin and move him from his position on top of the assassin. Sakusa thinks he has him here, the blow to the head caused the blond to take a moment to recuperate. The assassin _knows_ he has enough time to take the shot here. 

_So why doesn’t he?_

He doesn’t realize it completely, but he hesitates. They’re always told that hesitation can be fatal, and Sakusa is never the one to think twice, but he _does_ , and it’s so out of character. 

He gives the blond enough time to reach over again, but before he can lay a hand on the assassin, Sakusa hooks his arm and pushes, the familiar _pop_ ringing out against the tiled floors. Atsumu cries out in pain, elbow surely dislocated, if not broken. Sakusa takes a moment to stand, slightly disturbed from being on a _bar_ bathroom floor, of all places.

He once again raises his gun, pointing it towards his target's head. Everything about this mission has been so out of the ordinary, they conversed, he hesitated, and now - as he’s clear to take an easy shot - something tugs him on the inside. 

Atsumu’s eyes still have the flame in them, as he stares at him almost defiantly from the ground. He knows by this point that he clearly can’t make a comeback from his position, and from his physical condition. But his eyes, they still burn so bright. He still has the will to go on. 

“Are ya gonna shoot, or what?” He says, but the words surprisingly lack sting, they lack punch, venom. It’s weird. This is all weird. 

Sakusa hears his heart beat in his ears 3 full times before he lowers his gun. Atsumu cocks and eyebrow in confusion. 

The assassin turns his shoulder away from the target on the ground. 

“Go disappear for a while, will you.”

Sakusa says the words, but they don’t register as him in his mind. They don’t sound like him at all, but they came from a deeper place than just his mind. That much he knows. 

Atsumu just stares at him, stunned. The assassin turns towards him angrily. 

“I said go!” 

The blond scrambles up from the floor, wincing from putting the slightest bit of pressure on his damaged elbow. He runs from the bathroom without a word. 

Sakusa looks at his reflection in the sink mirror.

He washes his hands. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! thank you so much for reading this first chapter. I got the taste for an action packed au and sakuatsu as bickering rivals is such a good dynamic so I was legally obligated to write this. 
> 
> anyways, any and all comments and kudos are so appreciated <3 it means the world to me to know that someone out there enjoys my terrible writing haha. 
> 
> i'll try to update weekly. stay tuned!


	2. new

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hello! thanks for continuing to read this fic. this chapter is on the shorter side as well, but I wanted to get something out before things pick up in the next chapter.
> 
> anyways, nothing to be wary of. hope you enjoy.

_ March, 2041 _

  
  
  


Atsumu takes a deep inhale, the ever pungent scents of the city streets attacking his nose. It's a new day - and surprisingly, a new beginning for the rookie assassin as he approaches the suspiciously inconspicuous office building with a new flame alight in his eyes. It’s the first time he’s been officially employed since he worked at a fast food joint in his teen years, and it feels rewarding almost. Bounty hunting is thrilling, he could never deny that, but nothing is ever guaranteed. At least something feels tangible here. 

Upon his entrance, there’s a pair standing by the coffee pot who Atsumu has become quite familiar with during his time here. Kuroo, who had been in charge of Atsumu’s training over the past month, and Kenma, who would often pop in when he had the chance, providing totally relevant and detailed criticism _._ (aka, calling the pair “idiots” every once in a while but that’s neither here nor there.)

As far as he’s gathered overall - Sugawara and Sawamura (though Sawamura is usually out for various business things) are at the head of this branch, gathering targets and cases from who  _ knows  _ where. Then there’s Kenma and Akaashi, who are the heads of intel - tracking targets and communicating with the assassins. Most of the assassins are in partner’s (for safety reasons, he supposes) - there’s Kageyama and Hinata, Kuroo and Bokuto (Bokuto, as he found out however, is currently on medical rest, leaving Kuroo to spend most of his time with Kenma these days), Shimizu and Yachi, and a few others he might have seen around from the sparse days that he’s been around.

The three share “Good mornings” as Atsumu walks over to pour himself his own cup of morning brew. 

“You ready for your first case?” Kuroo asks, taking a sip from a mug that says  _ ‘World’s Greatest Assassin’. _ (Bokuto has a matching one, gifted to each other last Christmas, apparently).

“I’d say so,” Atsumu says, thinking, “It’ll just be like another day in the streets,” he chuckles, grin confident. 

“Atsumu,” Sugawara calls out from the corner of the hall, motioning for the blond to follow him. The subject in question turns to the pair at the coffee pot, giving them a two finger salute before walking towards the grey haired man. 

Kenma lets out a soft hum. “Who’s going with him?” He asks. Rookies are never left by themselves, and if it’s not Kuroo, there aren’t really many other options. 

Just then, though, the front door opens. A familiar face enters, gloom as usual. He had been gone for a few cases farther north for the last couple of weeks, and Kenma can’t help but wonder if he knows what he’s returning to as he realizes what’s about to happen. 

Kuroo shares the same revelation as he raises an eyebrow in curiosity.  _ “This’ll _ be interesting,” he says, and Kenma hums in agreement. 

-

“Good morning, nervous?” Sugawara asks as he takes a seat behind his desk. 

Atsumu grins, “Not really. Nothing I’m not used to,” he says. 

The grey haired man gives a soft laugh. “Later down the line we can discuss the possibility of solo work, but for now because of your rookie status I’ve assigned you a partner,” he turns around to look at a white clock, checking the time. “He’s one of our best. I wanted him to train you but unfortunately the timing didn’t work out. You’ve… met before,” the words come out cautiously despite his gentle smile. 

His expression has an underlying sense of knowing behind it, Atsumu can recognize it. But, what would he be hiding?

His thoughts are interrupted by a soft  _ knock knock  _ on the door, to which Sugawara calls out a “Come in!” 

It creaks open with an obnoxious squeak, and a tall figure steps in. 

_ Wait a minute - _

The raven colored curls, deep eyes remnant of pitch black oceans, sharp jaw, parallel moles -

_ This is the man who almost killed me a year ago.  _

A look of realization washes over the agent’s face too, it seems. Looks like he knew nothing of the blond either. 

Their eyes meet, and Atsumu can feel a flame ignite between them. Not in a passionate way, though. It almost has a destructive edge to it. Atsumu knew he had made a lot of enemies in the process of bounty hunting, so it’s no surprise that someone was bound to come after him. But to think that a professional company had it out for him? It boosts his ego in a weird, almost deranged way. The reality is: The man in front of him made him stare death in the eyes for the first time in his life, and now he gets to work with him. It's an opportunity he wasn’t anticipating, but isn’t going to pass up. 

“Sakusa Kiyoomi, Miya Atsumu. Miya Atsumu, Sakusa Kiyoomi.” Sugawara says when he realizes they aren’t going to bother introducing themselves. 

Atsumu grins, however. “Nice to meet ya,” he says, sticking out a hand.  _ At least, meet ya properly,  _ he thinks.

Sakusa keenly analyzes it for a second, the tension between them thick enough to cut through. He finally raises his own hand, gloved in black, and shakes Atsumu’s with the lightest grip possible before promptly and quickly retracting his hand. 

“A pleasure,” He says, tone flat, features tense. 

As the senior agent takes a seat, Sugawara clears his throat while tapping a few papers together. 

“Sakusa you’ll be working with Atsumu over the course of the next few weeks to make sure everything goes smoothly, I expect no issues.” 

_ No issues, _ Atsumu thinks,  _ after what happened?  _

He suddenly has a newfound respect for Sugawara. It’s ballsy, putting the two of them together. There has to be some profound ulterior motive - no one pairs up a person with someone who tried to kill them in the past and does it with a smile. Maybe. (Hopefully?) 

Either way, Sugawara slides a page towards the two as if nothing happened. Atsumu sees the profile of a man who appears to be in his mid 40’s. 

“Your target is 46 year old Uchida Habiki. He’s the head of-”

He rambles a bit about the case, the situation, and the plan. Sakusa and Atsumu are entering under the pretext of being electricians, there to check on a dead outlet in the office. All they really have to do is wait for a moment alone to do the deed. 

The blond can’t help but glance at the senior agent to his right during the debriefing. He has a white mask on, but Atsumu can tell that he’s clenching his jaw based on the strain in his neck. His gloved hands have a death grip on his knees.  _ Interesting _ . 

“Lev has your uniforms ready to go, the appointments at noon and it’s about a two hour drive, so you have about 45 minutes before you need to leave. Any questions?” Sugawara peers between the two. 

“Wait, uniforms?” Atsumu asks. 

“If you’re going to get in and out without issues, an unquestionable appearance is of necessity. So we have a team member who specializes in design for that purpose.” He answers, seeming proud in a way. It makes sense, really, Atsumu doesn’t know why he didn’t think about it beforehand. “Anything else?”

The silence that settles in speaks for them. Sugawara seems satisfied. 

“Godspeed, then.” 

Sakusa stands first, promptly exiting the office. Atsumu can’t help but wonder what’s going through his mind as he proceeds to follow the senior agent down the hall. He isn’t angry, really, now that it’s clear that Atsumu was merely assigned to him by chance, but it seems that the other is incredibly bothered. 

“So, uh, long time no see, eh?” Atsumu tries a conversation starter. It’s meant to be a joke, albeit a little dry and perhaps inappropriate for the context. 

The raven haired agent ignores him. There’s not a peep, not even a hum of acknowledgment.  _ What’s this guy’s head so far up his ass for?  _ Atsumu can’t help but think. More and more his urge to push the other’s buttons grows. 

Sakusa stops in front of a door with a silver plaque that reads  _ Conference _ . For the second time that day he turns to face Atsumu. 

“I’m not here to be your partner, or make amends of any kind. Like Sugawara said, I’m here to fix things when you fuck up. So don’t.” The words are flat, however they’re spoken with a bite behind them. His charcoal eyes have that same destructive edge from earlier. Atsumu grins. He doesn’t know it, but Sakusa has just sealed the deal. 

He feigns innocence, raising two hands. “Alrighty, tough guy. No need to worry.” 

The sarcasm in his tone makes Sakusa’s blood boil. If Sakusa’s gears were bluntness, genuinity, and pensiveness, Atsumu would become the impurity that ceases their functionality -  _ this _ he was sure of. 

Without another word, Sakusa opens the door. It’s a large room, white lights illuminating racks and tables of various clothing items. 

“Ah, good morning!” A tall, silver haired, man greets with a polite bow. He has something folded over his arm as though he was busy with something before their entrance. “It was quite a task to replicate Live Wire’s uniforms, but I promise that no one will suspect a thing!” He says hurriedly as he grabs a few neatly folded items from a table. 

A pile of clothes is placed into Atsumu’s arms, and he looks at the man with a quirked eyebrow. 

“Ah, you must be Miya Atsumu, pleasure to meet you,” he says with a cheesy smile. “I’m Haiba Lev, our official tailor.” 

“Good to meet ya,” The blond responds. Though it’s only been a few moments, Atsumu is immediately drawn to his energy. His enthusiasm is greatly appreciated after his convo (if you can even call it that) with  _ grumpy-kun  _ to his right. 

After Sakusa’s received his matching electrician’s uniform, Lev’s disappeared to who knows where to work on something else. He peers down at the clothes in his hands, and then over to the senior agent. 

“Is there a room, or..?” 

He thinks he hears Sakusa scoff. “Don’t flatter yourself, I’m not looking,” he says. 

Atsumu’s eyebrow twitches.  _ Asshole…  _

The fit is simple, pale blue button down with a deep navy blue windbreak that has “LIVE WIRES” embroidered on the right side. The shirt’s tucked into beige canvas pants, and it undeniably says mid-30’s-beer-bellied electrician. Atsumu couldn’t imagine having to wear this everyday. 

He turns around and immediately meets the senior detective’s eyes.  _ Oh? Had he been looking, then?  _ Apparently Atsumu’s smirk speaks volumes, because suddenly Sakusa scowls - shaking his head and turning away. 

They’re just about to be on their way when an “Oh wait!” fills the air from Lev. 

He hurries over, in his hands two white construction-type hard hats and safety glasses. 

“Can’t forget to use protection,” He says with a grin, until suddenly a realization dawns upon him. 

Atsumu can’t help but bust out into a loud cackle, while Sakusa stares at the silver haired man with a rather unimpressed expression. 

“I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean it like-” He stumbles. 

“We know, thank you,” Sakusa says quickly, taking the items from Lev as Atsumu is drying a tear from his laughter. 

“See ya, Lev!” Atsumu calls out on their way out the door. _Yeah,_ _I like him,_ the blond decides. 

He wishes he could say the same about Sakusa, though. A silence once again falls between them as Atsumu follows aimlessly with lack of general familiarity for the office still. 

“Where to now?” He asks. 

Sakusa glances back, eyebrows furrowed. 

“The garage?” He responds with a tone that implies  _ where else, stupid?  _

Atsumu rolls his eyes. It’s about another minute before they enter the formerly mentioned location, a weird chill present in the air. The blond can’t help but marvel with a low whistle at the array of sophisticated sleek black cars, their new-car-like shine showing how well they’re taken care of. 

“Dang, what’s an assassin gotta do to get one of  _ these,”  _ He says, determining that there’s roughly 25 cars parked inside. 

Sakusa presses unlock on his keys and the yellow lights of a newer Lexus flash. 

“Be good at your job,” the senior agent answers finally. “That’s probably a lot to ask of you, though.” 

Atsumu scoffs, but the dig on his abilities doesn’t phase him a bit. As they get seated on pristine leather seats, the blond has to dish a comeback. 

“Ya talk a big game for someone who failed to kill me while I was drunk,” Atsumu jokes, ripping off the bandaid of their first encounter as Sakusa starts the car. The blond catches a flash of discontent on his face for a mere moment. He grips the steering wheel with the same force he had exerted on his knees during the debriefing. 

“I could still kill you, y’know. No one said I had to keep you alive,” he says,  _ harsh.  _

“Sugawara said he expects no issues,” Atsumu counters. 

“Don't see how killing you will be an issue,” He deapans. 

“Gosh, Sakusa, we’ve only known each other for an hour - at least take me out to dinner first before you wish for my demise” He charms with a grin. 

A scowl spreads on the senior agents face again. He goes silent, and Atsumu thinks he’s won the conversation until a few moments later a focused voice fills the air. 

“I didn't  _ fail to kill you,  _ I let you  _ go _ , Just in case you forgot.” 

Atsumu’s not sure how, but it feels as though the words have prickled on his skin. Sending chills in memory of staring down the barrel of a gun. No; he never forgot that he’s only alive because of Sakusa’s mercy. But he hates accepting that. Maybe it’s because it makes him admit defeat, admit superiority, and it’s supposed to make him be grateful - or something like that. But he feels none of those, no. He refuses to. The last thing that Atsumu will let him do is hold it over his head, 

  
  


“Pointless specifics,” he says. He had attempted his usual joking tone but they came out a little more grim then expected. “I’ll be one of the best here in no time flat, so watch out - Sakusa.” The confidence in that statement echoes. 

The silence settles in as the city streets whir by through the window. The senior agent doesn’t respond, perhaps not wanting to encourage conversation, but Atsumu hasn’t forgotten his task of pushing all his buttons - the smallest form of revenge that he could take. 

“I’m older than you, right? What was it - Kiyoomi - your first name? Can I call you that?”

“No.”

“Actually, Kiyoomi is too long, anyways. How about, Kiyo… no, Omi? Omi-Kun? Yeah, that sounds good.” 

“I said no.”

“I know.”

Atsumu grins and Sakusa looks displeased.  _ That’s better,  _ he thinks. 

“I think we’re gonna be just fine, Omi-kun.” 

His last statement is ignored. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, any and all kudos and comments are appreciated <33 they always keep me in check whenever i'm struggling to write. just good to know that someone out there enjoys what I write haha. 
> 
> anyways I hope all of you have a lovely day/night! see you sometime next week.
> 
> (also I know what you're thinking, "Lei... how could u make lev the tailor when there is a canon designer in the hq universe"... and I mean no disrespect to my man asahi but I needed lev's personality in that spot, I hope you can forgive me haha)


	3. vivid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cw: gun violence and minor deaths. 
> 
> pls enjoy!

“ _ Traffic is fine. Weather is mediocre. No disturbances. Mission on schedule.” _

A voice that Atsumu recognizes as Akaashi filters in over their radio. Sakusa mentioned that intel usually gives routine updates, even if there’s nothing of interest to report about. Perhaps this is an opportunity, though.

“Hey, Akaashi, is Omi-kun always like this?” The blond questions, noting the way Sakusa’s eyebrow twitches in irritation. 

_ “You mean, constantly moody and brooding? Yea, I’d say so.” _

Atsumu can’t help but chuckle. 

“You’re not helping Akaashi,” Sakusa presses. “I don’t ask if you’ve always been this annoying and intolerable, Miya.”

“You could, technically. Nothing’s stopping you.” He ponders it carefully for a moment. “And the answer is yes, I’ve always been like that for as long as I can remember, thank you.”

“Akaashi do you have any idea why Sugawara has hired this man?” The senior agent asks, exasperated. 

_ “Why wouldn’t you want the only man who’s been able to best your top agent on your side?”  _ He answers. 

Oh?

Atsumu’s head snaps to Sakusa’s direction. Their eyes meet and a wordless realization dawns upon the blond. 

_ They don’t know that Sakusa let him go.  _

He can’t help the grin that curls on the edges on his lips, tainted with the slightest hint of deviousness. Sakusa’s deep eyes are wide, perhaps a distant twinge of panic behind them. 

“We’re a few minutes out - we’ll contact you when we’re inside, thank you.” 

The words are rushed, too much wind behind them. The senior agent’s hand rises quickly to push something on the radio, effectively ending the call - leaving a tense silence to settle in. Atsumu wants to say something, but with that thought on his mind he realizes this situation couldn’t have been crafted any more meticulously. 

The blond’s shame lies in that fact that Sakusa had seen him at his worst - withered and sulking in the haven of intoxication - and brought him to the eyes of death so easily. But Sakusa’s shame lies in the fact that he - who everyone seems to agree is the pinnacle of efficiency and technique - let a target go without another thought. This balance has been designed delicately, and either one of them can break it with a few words to anyone in the agency. If they know that Sakusa had let him go, it would surely damage his reputation, but if they knew that Atsumu hadn’t actually bested him in combat, the confidence that they’ve put behind him would decay. 

“Not a word, Miya. This works more in your favor, anyways.” 

Sakusa’s voice is deep, and the most serious Atsumu has heard it in the short time they’ve been together. 

“So they think I’ve  _ bested _ ya, eh? How fascinating.” The blond decides to lighten the mood, despite the predicament. All he hears is a ‘tch’ though, which is acknowledgement enough - a silent agreement to drop it just as suddenly as it was realized. He’d drop it, alright, for now at least.    
  


It’s only about 5 minutes before they pull into the office parking lot, and it finally begins to sink in for Atsumu. 

This is it. His first case as a  _ professional  _ assassin. He hadn’t planned on talking to Osamu anytime soon, but maybe he will just to rub it in his face a little. 

He reaches for the door to step out of the car, but refrains when he sees Sakusa is still tentatively gripping the steering wheel. 

_ “I’m not here to be your partner, or make amends of any kind. Like Sugawara said, I’m here to fix things when you fuck up. So don’t.”  _ \- The senior agent’s words echo in the back of his mind. 

“You could stay, if ya wanted. Not like I need ya or anything.” Atsumu jokes, pushing open his door. He can see Sakusa’s eyes tune back into reality - he had seemingly been lost in his thoughts for a moment. 

“Sure,” he says, letting go of the wheel and leaning back. 

“Really?” Atsumu quirks an eyebrow. 

“No, that was a joke.” 

“Wow, you have terrible jokes, Omi-kun.”

“Says the one who cackles at childish innuendos.”   
  


“ _ That  _ was funny, looks like ya have a terrible sense of humor, too.”

He gets a solid scoff for that. 

**  
  
**

They enter the  _ ‘Evertree Corporations’  _ office building moments later. In the back of the lobby lay a long mahogany desk with a young woman behind it

“Good afternoon, we’re with Live Wires, here for a Mr. Uchida?” Atsumu greets. He doesn’t miss the way Sakusa watches him with a raised brow. 

The receptionist looks down to her computer and types something before looking up. 

“Great, Mr. Uchida is waiting for you in his office. Number 301, top floor.” She explains, and the agents bow politely before making their way to the elevator. 

“Well, that was easy,” Atsumu muses. 

Sakusa gives an acknowledging hum. “No one questions a man in uniform.”

It’s a simple observation, but the blond thinks it holds more weight than he intends. 

He clicks the highest floor and the elevator doors shut, whirring as it takes the two up. 

**  
  
  
  
**

-

**  
  
  
  
  
**

“I know you, Koushi. There’s something going on here,” Kenma’s voice files out into the spacious office of the grey haired man. 

“About what?” Sugawara questions. 

“About Sakusa and Atsumu.” Kenma answers tentatively. 

The resulting smirk is genuine, but almost on the villainous side. 

“I’m just putting them to the test, is all.” Sugawara’s chair swivels around to face the window behind him, letting the direct sunlight warm his features. 

“So the case isn’t as simple as it seems-?” Kenma says, somewhere in between a question and a statement. 

“Not sure, really. But what I do know is that Evertree may have received an anonymous tip about a possible assassination, though.” 

The semi-blond’s eyes widen in shock. 

“It’s nothing Sakusa can’t handle, I know that. But Atsumu, well, we’ll see, I suppose.” Sugawara continues. 

“But what do you gain?” Kenma presses. 

The chair swivels back around. His delicate hands are laced together in his lap, smile unwavering. 

“Clarity, of course.” 

**  
  
  
  
**

-

**  
  
  
  
**

“Mr. Uchida?” Atsumu calls before opening the door to 301. “We’re from Live Wires, we were told that there’s a dead outlet in your office?” 

Upon their entrance, their target is sat at his desk in the back center of the office. It’s pretty spacious, with room for greenery and a couch to the right. With the muted tones spread throughout the design of the office, there’s a sense of sophistication to the room that Atsumu can’t quite put his finger on. 

“Ah yes,” The larger man starts, getting up from his desk with a reluctant squeak from his chair. “This one right here. Thank you for coming so quickly.” He leads them over to an outlet in the corner of the right side. 

“Not a problem,” The blond says, mustering his most homely smile. 

Sakusa crouches down and pulls out a screwdriver. He slowly begins to take out the screws that hold the outside plastic panel. Atsumu watches him intently, and when the deep eyes of the senior agent peer over to meet his own, he gets a message. Loud and clear. 

_ It’s time.  _

The blond stands quickly, hand reaching into his tool belt to reach for his concealed weapon, when the CEO begins to speak. 

“Say, you two look awfully young for electricians, no?” He questions, now seated at his desk again. 

“We’re new to the business,” Atsumu switches gears quickly to avoid suspicion. “Boss decided it’d be best for us to handle something simple for practice sake.”

Mr. Uchida grins. “I see. Your inexperience shows. You haven’t even cut the breaker to make sure you wouldn’t electrocute yourself, which  _ would  _ be step number one for anyone who was actually an electrician.” 

_ Shit _ \- Sakusa thinks, eyes widening.  _ He knows. _

Atsumu doesn’t waste another second, lifting his weapon from the tool belt, aiming it at the CEO. 

“That would be unwise of you, boy. You kill me and your whole agency’ll get burned down to the ground by my men. Do you really want that?” His eyes are unwavering, they show no trace of fear. 

“Miya!”

The blond’s head snaps to the direction of the senior agent's voice. He realizes a second too late that the other had called out for him to take the shot - as by the time he gets the sense to pull the trigger, Mr. Uchida has pressed a button that rests under his desk. 

The shot rings out clear and crisp into the air, sending the remnants of the CEO’s smug face to the wall. 

His eyes widen. He’s killed before, yes. But that was it. 

That was initiation. 

Sakusa scrambles from his spot on the ground, running to check the button Mr. Uchida had pressed in his final moment. 

“Miya, we gotta g-”

His words are cut short with the sound of the office door flying open with a crack. Atsumu feels a firm grip on his wrist pull him to the floor behind the desk as gunshots fly above them. It shatters the glass of the farthest wall of the office, shards twinkling through the air like snow on a peaceful winter morning. But this is anything but that - Atsumu thinks as he sees Sakusa grab his own handgun and peek out from the protected edge of the desk just enough to be able to take two concise shots into the chests of their assailants. 

“Come on, idiot,” Sakusa grumbles, hurriedly moving from the desk. Atsumu follows, letting out a low whistle. 

“Wow Omi-kun, yer precision ain't half bad,” he comments as the senior agent checks the hall for possible danger before signaling for the two to move forward. 

Sakusa huffs, turning to look at Atsumu as they dash down the hall. “Don’t patronize me.” 

“Watch out!” Atsumu calls as a man dressed in a suit turns a corner, raising his weapon. The blond takes two shots, 1, 2, and barely gets to see the man hit the ground as they run by.

The assassins reach the elevator doors, and Atsumu instinctively reaches for the down button when Sakusa’s gloved hand slaps it out of the way. 

“Why are you stopping?” The senior agent presses. 

“What do you mean why am I stopping!?” Atsumu says, exasperated. 

For the second time this mission, Sakusa grips Atsumu’s wrist, pulling him in a different direction. 

“Where are we going?!” He calls out, now struggling to keep his pace with the senior agent. 

“We’re taking the stairs, stupid! The elevator is too dangerous.”

“We’re up 35 floors! Omi-kun!” 

Sakusa stops and turns to face Atsumu in front of a heavy door that reads ‘ _ Stairwell’ _ . 

“Get over it! It’s either that or-” He stops short, throwing open the door, pulling them through and shutting it quickly. 

Atsumu is about to question his action, but doesn’t get the chance to before he hears a handful of gunshots twang against the metal door, realizing that Sakusa had seen the men approaching from behind. 

“I’m getting tired of saving your ass. Just keep up, will you?” He says before beginning his descent down the steps

Atsumu scowls, following after him. “I saved ya too, y’know!” 

He doesn’t get a response, though. Instead all he can hear is the sound of their footprints on the steel steps one after another. 

On floor 18, just as they’re passing the door it flies open with a bang, effectively knocking Sakusa into the wall behind it. Atsumu’s eyes shoot to the doorway, and standing in it is a bulky man, who’s got to be at  _ least  _ 6’ 6” - he realizes when he has to lift his gaze to meet the others eyes. 

“Oh  _ brother,” _ he groans as the man throws a hefty punch at him. The blond ducks under, but is met with a fist to his stomach as the opposite hand of the assailant swings in from below. Atsumu recoils in pain, giving the man enough time to grip him by the throat, constricting his airways with his tight hold. The man pushes them forward, far enough until Atsumu can feel the metal bars of the handrail press into the small of his back. His squirming feels useless against the unrelenting grip of the giant in front of him - he’s desperately trying to think of a way out when the now very familiar sound of a gunshot rings out. 

The man collapses before him - revealing Sakusa. Atsumu takes a deep breath, his airways thanking him for the freedom of breathing that he had so taken for granted. 

“I had it covered, asshole.” He huffs. 

“Didn’t look like it to me,” Sakusa counters. 

The two’s gaze peers up suddenly when what sounds like the steps from a large group of people echo down from higher up in the stairwell. Without another word, they continue dashing down the steps, realizing now more than ever that time is running thin. 

Breathless from another 18 flights of stairs, Atsumu reaches to open the door to floor one, but to his dismay, the door stays shut. 

“Locked! Damnit,” He groans, stubbornly tugging at the handle. 

Sakusa can hear the footsteps growing closer. If they get caught like this-

“The window,” He says after spotting the small pane of glass to their right. He takes the butt end of his gun, efficiently shattering it to pieces. It’s a cramped fit, but they both manage to crawl their way through the small opening, leading them to the outside of the building. 

They creep cautiously around the side, back to the main parking lot. The assassins are within 30 feet of the car, ready to dash to safety when the glass doors to the office swing open, a handful of gunmen dashing out of it. Atsumu pulls Sakusa to safety behind an old Toyota as the sound of bullets on metal reach their ears. 

“How are we gonna get out of here, Sakusa?” Atsumu asks, peering to see if any advance is possible. 

“Huh. You finally called me Sakusa.” He says plainly, earning him a glare from the blond. 

In a strange turn of events, irritation plagues Atsumu's features. “That’s not import- I would like not to die on my first mission, please!” 

“So you’re admitting that you can’t do this without me?” Sakusa asks, eyes gleaming with something Atsumu can’t detect. 

He wants to argue, but he can put his pride down for a few seconds to make sure they get out of here alive - as the bullets hitting the cars around them are unrelenting. 

“Sure.” 

For the first time that day, Atsumu sees a small grin twinge at the edges of Sakusa’s lips. Just the slightest. But it sends a message all the same. 

Without another word, Sakusa grabs something out of his tool belt, plucking a pin before tossing it towards the entrance. 

“What the fuck? You keep grenades on ya?!” Atsumu questions in vexation. 

“Not quite.” 

A moment later there’s a distant bang, and the blond can see a dense plume of purple smoke engulf the gunmen, effectively halting their gunfire. 

Taking advantage of their assailants' confusion, the two dash to Sakusa’s Lexus, speeding off merely seconds later. 

Atsumu’s heart beats widely in his chest. That was it - his first mission. He had assumed that assassin work would always be sneak-in-sneak-out kind of work, but knowing that missions could be like that? He hasn’t felt like this in a long time -  _ exhilaration.  _

“Akaashi, the mission is complete.” The senior agent informs. 

“ _ Complete? Why didn’t I get any updates?”  _

“We ran into a. . . situation. Mr. Uchida knew we were assassins, he had backup ready.”

_ “My whole job is to make sure that if you guys get caught in some shit I can let the agency know.” _

“Don’t worry Akaashi,” Atsumu pops in. “We had it all under control.”

Sakusa sneers. “Actually,  _ I _ had it all under control. Miya was acting a fool.” 

“Not true, I got our guy,” Atsumu counters. 

“ _ After _ you let him warn his men that we were there - though. And then I had to save your ass like 3 more times.”

“What about that one guy in the hall? Did that mean nothing to you?”

“Of course it meant nothing because I could have handled him myself. That one who had you in a choke hold, though-”

“You  _ cannot _ hold that against me, he was like 6’6”, Omi-kun! What was I supposed to do to him-”

**  
  
  
  
**

Akaashi chuckles fondy, lowering his headset. He swivels in his chair to face Kenma. 

“They’re more than okay,” He says to the semi blond, who lets out a small sigh. “You think it was Sugawara who tipped them off?”

A sense of puzzlement gleams in Kenma’s eyes. “I don’t see how else he could have known about it. Though I suppose he has connections like no one’s business.” 

A tense silence sits in between the two. The two on the other side of the radio, however, have not let up their bantering. 

“Say, Kenma, when’s the last time you’ve heard Sakusa act like this?”

The other intel head thinks intently, running through his memories of the senior agent. 

“Long time, if ever - really.” He says flatly. 

Akaashi turns back towards his monitors, watching the wave forms rise and fall. 

“Yea, I thought so too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed the chapter :) action writing is out of my familiarity so hopefully this reads okay. anyways, I might start doing bi-weekly updates instead of weekly since, oddly enough, my schedule right now actually keeps me pretty busy. either way, you can expect more from our assassins. 
> 
> as always, any and all kudos/comments mean the world to me and are highly appreciated <3


	4. egoist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> no cw needed.
> 
> new case for our agent duo :> pls enjoy

Atsumu exhales deeply as he enters the agency office building. It’s been two days since his first case - as mandated by the required two day rest period between cases - and oddly enough he’s excited to be here. 

Perhaps it should concern him more - excited to be and work for a place who kills people? But maybe it’s not necessarily the work itself he’s excited for. Maybe it’s the environment - the busy and yet casual feel that everyone seems to have. Maybe it’s the opportunity to go somewhere new, do something different. That would make more sense, an answer that would keep him off of the government’s most wanted perhaps. 

Either way, he makes his way to Sugawara’s office - ready for an early morning debriefing. He notes that the door has been left cracked open - and by the sounds of it, it looks like someone has already arrived. He really doesn’t intend to snoop, but when he hears Sakusa’s voice he can’t help but pause to hear what the senior agent is saying.

_ “He’s loud - and quite frankly - annoying.” _

Atsumu smirks - that was his goal, afterall. 

_ “Though he does have naturally good intuition and decent reflexes, so he’s not a total lost cause.” _

Something about the second statement makes his breath fall short - though he couldn’t place why. He finds himself stunned for a second as Sugawara says something that he can’t quite make out - something Sakusa said is all too familiar, and he can’t figure out what. 

He shakes his head, putting himself back in reality. He doesn’t dwell on it any further, instead knocking on the cracked door to announce his entrance. 

Sugawara greets him with his signature smile. “Ah, good morning, Atsumu. How are you feeling?” 

“Not bad,” Atsumu says, taking a seat next to Sakusa. He pretends not to notice the way Sakusa’s eyes analyze him for a second. 

“Great, we’ll begin, then. Today’s case should be easier,” He pauses for a second. There was no emphasis on the ‘should’, but for some reason Atsumu thinks it’s implied. 

“You’ll be going to Ichiwaka Hisoki’s mansion,” Sugawara says, sliding his profile towards the two agents. “He’s returning from a business trip this evening, you’ll take him out then. But before that, we have reason to believe that he has an important hard drive hidden somewhere on his property. I’d like you to find it - it could help us dismantle the rest of his underground business.” 

Sakusa raises an eyebrow. “What if the hard drive isn’t there?” 

Sugawara shrugs lightly. “Then so be it.” The senior agent seems satisfied with that answer. 

“Suna should be here soon to take you guys to the location. It’s about a 3 hour drive. We’re anticipating Hisoki to return anywhere between 4 and 6, so you should have plenty of time to search the house. Any questions?” 

Atsumu doesn’t think he heard the second half of Sugawara’s spiel, he got caught on the mention of Suna. Is it the Suna he’s thinking of? Is that possible? 

“Godspeed, then.” 

The blond is the first out of the office now, still caught in his thoughts. Suna? As in  _ the _ Suna? 

“Hey.” 

Sakusa’s voice catches him by surprise. He turns around to meet the raven haired man’s eyes. 

“Do you know where you’re going?” Despite this being their first interaction in two days, there’s a distant sense of exasperation in Sakusa’s voice. 

For some reason all thought seems to elude Atsumu - he can’t even muster a good witty response, settling for a, “Sorry captain, lead the way.” He’s not even convinced by the weak sarcastic tone that he gives. 

Sakusa quirks an eyebrow. He seems to notice this, too. However, without another word he turns down the hall, Atsumu following behind him. 

The blond recalls from his brief lessons from Kuroo that whenever a mission is more than two hours away, agents are driven instead of driving themselves, something about keeping in top shape or whatever. Who knew that one of the drivers would be Suna? No, wait - he can’t assume yet, there could be 100 Sunas out there for all he knows. 

The blond can hear his heartbeat in his chest as the garage door slides open. Parked outside is a slick black SUV, and a figure standing in front of it. 

Atsumu’s sure now, it’s the Suna he knows. 

Suna Rintaro. 

“Suna, ya sly dog,” He grins. Immediately he can feel himself relax at the sight of the other - he’s got questions, sure, but it’s just nice seeing that the man is alive

“Well, hello Miya.” Suna adopts a sly grin much similar to his own. 

“So ya were just never gonna let me know that you were still alive, eh? I’m hurt, I thought we were closer than that.” He feigns a pouting face. 

Suna rolls his eyes, it almost reminds Atsumu of Sakusa. “I would have tried but I didn’t want to bring back more trouble. Plus one less Atsumu is one less problem.” 

“How do you know each other?” Sakusa questions. Atsumu didn’t take him as the nosy type, but the shift of his brows signals curiosity. 

The blond swings his arm around Suna’s shoulder like a proud dad or something. “Suna used to be our mechanic back in my bounty hunting days. Could fix just about anything,” he says, smile beaming. 

“You say that like it was forever ago,” Sakusa notes. 

“For me it wasn’t, but for Suna here it’s been a year or two more. How’ve you been, by the way?” Atsumu starts, turning his attention back to the black haired male in his grasp. 

“You can catch up on the way there, we have time.” The senior agent interrupts before the other has a chance to respond, pulling the back car door open for himself. 

“-I’ve been fine,” Suna answers Atsumu’s last question once they’ve settled in the car and began their drive. “I’ve got a side job doing night shift at a restaurant, too. Not so bad there.” 

The blond hums in acknowledgment. “So what  _ did _ happen back then? We were so sure that they finally gotcha.” He asks. 

“For talking about my own mortality, you sure say that lightheartedly.” 

“Well you’re here now, aren't cha’?” 

“Still an asshole, I see.” Suna lets out a sigh and Atsumu can’t help but chuckle. “But I was just getting ready to go home from the shop when some guys from the Adlers busted down my door. They were trying to get information out of me about the heirloom you stole from the Chiba family, but I didn’t talk. So they took me in, and burnt the shop down.”

Atsumu remembers the part about the shop clearly. It had been about 4 years ago, he and his brother received a call early on a Sunday morning, rushed over to find Suna’s shop a pile of ashes and rubble. 

“I was at their hideout for about 3 days- but that’s just a guess really. I figured that they were gonna use me as a pawn to bargain with you guys - I escaped before the next time I saw them though.” 

“Yikes,” Atsumu exhales. “We panicked when we couldn’t get a hold of ya. You were our closest friend in the industry, y’know.” 

There’s a soft curve to Suna’s lips from that. A distant sense of nostalgia seems to wash over him. “Yeah, I know.” 

It’s silent for only a second. Atsumu certainly hadn’t been lying - whenever the brothers got into trouble Suna was always right there to back them up. And if he wasn’t on the front lines, it always seemed like he was behind the scenes working to save their asses somehow. Long lasting relationships aren’t common in bounty hunting - people get desperate, hungry,  _ selfish.  _ The people around you become trivial when the scent of something bigger, something pricier comes your way. At least, for most people Atsumu’s seen. But the three always seemed to stick together no matter what.

“But I figured it’d be better if I stayed off the radar for once. You guys had a lot of heat from that heirloom, I didn’t need you coming after me.” He finishes. 

Atsumu nods, slowly processing the information given to him. They had planned on it - tracking Suna down that is. But other things got in the way, as simple as that. 

He’s pulled out of his thoughts when he hears a tentative exhale from the driver’s seat - and he’s got a pretty good guess of what’s about to come. 

“Hey, about Os-”

“What about him?” the blond interjects. The air around him has tensened up, he can feel it. 

Suna taps on the steering wheel for a second before continuing. “I know you haven’t spoken in a while-” 

“So you’ve been in contact with him?” He concludes. 

“Yes. We actually-,” he breaths, “We’re together now.” 

Atsumu almost wants to laugh. “Congrats,” the acknowledgment holds a venomous tone. “My bro always was yer favorite, anyways.” 

“Atsumu.” His tone is firm, much like the one he used whenever he had to stop the blond from doing something stupid. “Don’t start, I would have reached out to you too but you went off and isolated yourself from-”

“And who’s fault was that?” He says, an underlying aggression making its way through. “If yer just gonna tell me to stop being stubborn, I don’t-”

“I’m not telling you not to be stubborn,” Suna interrupts this time. “But I will tell you to stop being childish. You know him better than anyone-”

“-clearly I don’t.”

“-and you should understand where he’s coming from. Or at least  _ try _ . You’re the only who needs to apologize for something here - and I know you see that, too.”

Atsumu doesn’t get a chance to answer before a short  _ beep _ can be heard from the radio, signaling that intel has hopped on the line. 

_ “Good morning, ETA is about 12:30. Weather is fine, traffic is fine, and whatever else they want me to tell you is fine. Thank you.”  _

It’s Kenma this time. Atsumu doesn’t really care though. 

“Thank you, Kenma,” Sakusa fills in from his spot in the back seat. The blond hasn’t necessarily forgotten about him, but he’s been entirely too quiet during this whole ordeal. 

Suna lifts his hand to end the call. Atsumu peers over briefly - he can’t quite read his expression. A few seconds of silence sit between them as the blond thinks his next words over carefully.

“Yes, of course I see that.” he says on the softer side, answering his statement from a moment ago. “But if he can’t understand how it hurt me either, then I don’t wanna talk.” 

It’s honest - it’s tone is raw, that statement. Suna can hear it too. It’s not often the blond lets down the asshole demeanor. 

“Hey, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down or anything.”

“It’s fine. I know yer just lookin’ out for him.”

It brings a soft smile to Suna’s face. He waits a few seconds before speaking. 

“I am happy to see you, though. And if you told me four years ago that I’d be saying that I’d have laughed in your face and tried to kill you,” He says, bringing back in the casual edge. Atsumu can’t help but give a warm chuckle. 

“Must have been tough not seeing my pretty face around.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” 

“I make no promises.” 

_ And they’re back to normal, just like that?  _ Sakusa can’t help that thought.  _ What an odd pair.  _

“I have to ask though, how’d you end up in this business?” Suna questions. 

Atsumu gives a low hum before speaking. “Long story short I ran into the head of this branch in the streets - he said he had heard about my work as a bounty hunter and asked if I was interested in somethin’ more serious. I didn’t know up until about two days ago that it was a lie, though.” 

“How so?”

“Well,” he starts with a grin. “He knew about me because this branch had once come after me as their target.” 

Suna’s surprise seems genuine. “Jesus, the agency came after you? What trouble did you get into while I was gone?” 

“I was a bit reckless, think I hurt someone's feelings,” they both chuckle at that. “Either way I barely made it out.” 

“Which agent was it? Have you met with them yet?” He asks. 

“He’s sitting in the backseat, actually.” 

Suna lets out a small gasp. “Sakusa! If I found out that you killed one of the Miya’s I’d have to go after you myself.” 

He holds a grin on his face, but something about the way his eyes pierce Sakusa through the rear view mirror tells him that Suna isn’t joking when he says it. The agent shrugs lightly. 

“My apologies.”

“Wow, Omi-kun did ya just apologize for almost killing me?” Atsumu butts in. 

Sakusa scoffs lightly. “I was apologizing to Suna. I have nothing to say to you.” 

“Alright, asshole.”

Suna chuckles. “You guys seem okay despite that, though.” 

Atsumu confidently states  _ “It’s ‘cuz he’s no match for me”  _ at the same time Sakusa throws in a  _ “He’s somewhat tolerable.”  _ Suna can’t help the eye roll that comes from their impudence as they break off into competitive bantering. 

“All right, kiddos, break it up. I thought I got rid of all the blubbering idiots in my life.” 

****  
  


The rest of the car ride is mostly spent with more catch-up chatter between Suna and Atsumu. Sakusa doesn’t mind, really - anything to keep Atsumu busy. (However, the more he listens, perhaps - just maybe - he’s kind of interested in Atsumu’s past. But that’s neither here nor there.)

When they approach Ichiwaka’s property, the blond finds himself staring at the mansion kind of wide-eyed. It’s the kind of house you only see in movies - big, gated, and modern. Even if he’s seen mansions this big, the sense of class that this one holds can’t be compared. 

_ “If our predictions are correct, you should have 3-4 hours to search the house, Suna will let you know when he sees him get home. I’ve interrupted the security systems, so you should be able to get in without a problem. Keep me posted.”  _ Kenma says over the radio. 

“Thanks, Kennie,” Atsumu says, getting ready to exit the car. 

_ “Don’t call me that,”  _ The intel head answers. 

“It was worth a short,” The blond shrugs with a grin. 

“So you’ll listen to Kenma but not to me?” Sakusa questions. 

Atsumu can’t help the chuckle that leaves his lips. “Of course, Omi-omi. I respect Kenma, after all.”

The senior agent rolls his eyes, mentally cursing the blond. 

“Stay safe in there, alright Miya?” Suna says. It brings Atsumu right back to old times, Suna sending them off before they go to do whatever it is that they’re doing. “And you too, Sakusa.”

“Will do, Suna.” He says with a smile. 

“Thanks,” Sakusa grumbles. 

The two agents make it over the gate without an issue - years of breaking into different places coming to use. However the closer they get, Atsumu realizes just how tedious searching the property is going to be. 

“There’s probably like a million rooms in here,” he complains. “I dunno if 3-4 hours is gonna be long enough.” 

Sakusa is in the process of picking the window lock to let themselves in as he says it. “That should be more than enough time,” he counters. 

“Lord,” Atsumu mutters under his breath as the senior agent pushes up the window, effectively allowing them to enter the house. 

He can’t help the low whistle that leaves his lips as they step into the front room. It’s spacious, and meticulously decorated. A lounge area - a bar area, fully equipped kitchen, and could definitely house 100-200 people. Atsumu finds himself just kind of wandering, as though he isn’t in a rush to get anything done. 

“He’s really got it made here, huh,” he comments, to which Sakusa gives an acknowledging hum. 

The blond's interest is peaked when he spots a small remote on the coffee table in the lobby area - which could only mean one thing to him. He presses a couple buttons, the first two not doing anything - but the third catches him by surprise. The lights shift down low, changing into purple-blue hues that illuminate the area. The speakers mounted on the wall start playing some old-time smooth jazz - he notes as a piano, tenor sax, and set trio grace his ears. 

“Miya!” Sakusa’s voice reaches his ears. He looks over to the senior agent who had been investigating a bookshelf on the other side of the main room. 

“How ‘bout it, Omi-kun?” He waggles his eyebrows suggestively while motioning towards the couch. “Ya  _ did _ say we had more than enough time, after all.” 

Sakusa rolls his eyes. “You’re vile - turn it off.” 

“Whatever, suit yerself,” Atsumu shrugs as he presses the remote again, returning the lights to normal and stopping the music. 

They comb through the main floor, checking any and all drawers, searching for hidden panels or false walls, anything out of the ordinary - but in the end come up empty. They climb the steps up to the second story - and unsurprisingly there’s roughly 8 large rooms scattered around the expansive level. 

“What would a person do with all these rooms, anyways? Seems pretty ridiculous,” Atsumu comments. 

“I’m sure they have their purposes,” Sakusa says, analyzing the floor. “I’ll take the main master bedroom, you start on the other side of the hall.”

“Want to get away from me that bad, huh?” The blond jokes. 

“Always, Miya,” He responds. But it’s not his usual annoyed-tone and expressionless duo that usually makes an appearance to Atsumu’s teasing, no, instead Sakusa adopts a slight tilt of the head and his tone has almost a playful edge. The change of energy catches the blond a little off guard, his wit eluding him for the second time that day. Is he reading too much into it? Or was that intentional?

He pulls himself out of his thoughts with a shake of his head - letting himself into one of the rooms to his right, deciding to focus his confused energy into something productive. It’s clear that not as much thought has gone into it - instead looking much more like a regular, simple but modern bedroom. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, and he comes up empty even with a thorough search of under the bed, in the desk, closet, etc. Room number two that he enters is more or less the same - but it’s a little more personalized he thinks. Perhaps a relatives room, instead. He once again comes up empty though, and is beginning to think the rest of the house will have the same pattern. 

“Find anything, Omi-kun?” He calls out from down the hall. 

When there’s no response, fear settles in his bones a little bit. He can see the bedroom door is still cracked open - and there’s no way that in the time it’s taken Atsumu to search two bedrooms has it taken Sakusa to search the one. 

“Sakusa?” He tries again, slowly approaching the room. The blond keeps on hand resting on his gun as his hand tentatively reaches to push the door open. 

On a mental count of 3, he opens it quickly, immediately lifting his weapon. He spots a figure sitting in the corner, looking at him wide-eyed like a deer in headlights. The eyes are deep, and of course belong to Sakusa. 

“Jesus Christ, what are you doing?” He asks. 

Atsumu lets out a groan, putting away his weapon. “What am  _ I  _ doing? I could ask ya the same thing - why didn’t you answer me?” 

Sakusa blinks twice before responding. “Oh, didn’t hear you” The answer is on the softer side. 

The blond can’t see what the other is doing, the king sized bed in the middle of the room blocking Sakusa’s lower half. He shifts a few steps to his left, and sees that the senior agent is sat on the floor, with a book off of the shelf open in his hands. 

“Yer…” Atsumu starts with an eyebrow raised, “reading?” 

He can’t really tell because of the dim lighting of the room, but he swears Sakusa’s cheeks flush in the slightest. 

“Ichiwaka happens to own a very rare book that contains a large collection of poems of one of my favorite poets,” Sakusa explains. “I was curious.” 

Atsumu flops into a plush armchair across from the senior agent. He can’t help the soft chuckle that escapes his lips. “Omi-kun,” he starts, “that’s so cute, ya big nerd.” 

A hasty breath leaves the other. “This book goes anywhere from 10,000-12,000 on the markets, I might not have this opportunity again.” 

The blond’s laughs grow louder. “We’re killing the guy, Omi, ya could just take the book.” 

Sakusa seems to run that through his head for a second. “I suppose.” 

_ “Hey, we’ve got company.”  _ Suna’s voice filters in over the radio. 

What? 

_ “Company?”  _ Kenma’s voice comes next.  _ “Ichiwaka?”  _

_ “No,”  _ Suna answers, “ _ It’s a woman, and a man. But the man is definitely not Ichiwaka. They’re heading up to the door now, and I’ll be honest they look like they’re about to devour each other,” _

Atsumu grins slightly from Suna’s bluntness, but Sakusa stands quickly, placing the book back on the shelf. 

_ “It’s probably his wife,” _ Kenma fills in.  _ “Word is they haven’t been very friendly lately - looks like she’s having an affair.”  _

“No one thought to warn us about a wife?” Atsumu asks on the radio. 

_ “Didn’t think she’d be an issue, she’s always out and about while Ichiwaka is home, trying to avoid him that is. She must not know that he’s coming home today.”  _ The intel head says. 

“We gotta move,” Sakusa says softly. Atsumu’s about to ask why, but when he remembers that they’re in the master bedroom he realizes the pair might be coming their way. 

They retreat to the first room Atsumu searched, taking a seat on opposite sides of the bed. The sound of the front doors opening and closing can be heard - followed by lovesick giggling. 

_ “Don’t engage for now, I’ll see what Sugawara wants to do with them.”  _ Kenma says

Atsumu lays down on the bed, sighing as Sakusa seems to be straining his ear to listen for the couple. He’s sure that they’re safe, considering how plain the room is. But after a moment the voices grow closer, and closer, until-

“Miya!” The whisper from Sakusa is hushed but urgent. Without another word, the two agents rush into the closet, cramped and dark. 

It’s only a few seconds later that - through the slotted door of the closet - they can see the handle of the door twist open. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! hopefully this chapter wasn't too rough, but I did want to touch on some things that will be important to later chapters. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed, and as always all comments/kudos really mean the world to me <3 I cant believe how much support this story has gotten already, I really do appreciate it :')


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